The Groggy Squirrel

To start with a warning to any overseas visitors, the pronunciation of the above two words is actually (to the English anyway) the Chumleys and the Fanshaws. Don’t know why, it’s just one of those old English throwbacks.

This is a five piece group of dead music hall artistes singing songs which tell the audience to enjoy life before it’s too late. There are two banjo players and three dancers. The dancers sometimes help with the singing and playing of instruments but the musicians (who also wrote the songs) just play the music. The male cast members are in white face and music hall costume and the ladies just have the music hall costumes. The stage is bare apart from the central portion which is raised slightly and there are coloured strip lights in various locations around the stage.

The show starts (I made my own names up for the songs) with the Underdog song in which the cast explains how they are the lowest of the low, next is a song called Save My Sorry Arse about trying to avoid the attentions of faux celebrities and suchlike. After this is a song about being dis corporeal (or leaving ones body behind), being the local living corpse, a post-life lament (I’m being sent where?), a dance to suicide, a song about the comforts of being deceased, one about how time flies and another half dozen songs on similar themes.

The songs, though sounding depressing and downbeat, are done in a music hall style and often are quite cheerfully sung and the words are more an affirmation of what you have and how good life is (so enjoy it while you still have it). The dancers are excellently coordinated and flow with the music while utilising the full stage area with their movements. The show comes in at just over 50 minutes and you leave feeling like you need to go out and do something positive. This show is well worth seeing.

Visit the Fringe Website for booking details.